This article caught my eye because of the sheer irony, although Disney itself does not connect its closing and remodeling of its "Small world" ride due to accommodate the larger passengers, rather they are updating the ride after "layers and layrs of fiberglass from patches and rapairs" are causing some boats to bottom out, and asking the heavier riders to exit the boat, you can't really deny this societal problem might have helped expedited the process sooner then it should have right?
Disneyland insists fat tourists aren't to blame, but the park's upgrade of its 41-year-old attraction will include deepening the waterway and making its boats more buoyant...Forty-one years after the whimsical ride debuted...Disneyland plans to shutter the attraction in January to give it a much-needed face-lift -- and deal with the delicate problem of bottoming-out boats. Heavier-than-anticipated loads have been causing the boats to come to a standstill in two different spots, allowing for an extra-long gander at the Canadian Mounties and the Scandinavian geese...
The boats get stuck because "layers and layers" of fiberglass have built up where maintenance teams have patched and re-patched problem areas, said Disneyland Resort spokesman Bob Tucker...But Disneyland is well aware of America's expanding waistlines.
In recent years, the park has redesigned many of its costumes and started stocking them in larger sizes to accommodate expanding waistlines. Adult men and women are about 25 pounds heavier than they were in 1960, and 65% are considered overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The average weight for men jumped from 166 pounds in 1960 to 191 pounds in 2002; women average 164 pounds instead of 140.
...So when somebody gets booted from the boat...Disneyland ride operators make sure the guests don't leave disappointed: They hand them a food ticket.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-disneyland9nov09,0,4366885.story?t...
Yeeeaah, I'm still trying to make sense of this, I mean personally I think it could be a dual problem or wear and tear and the fact they have a lot heavier children and adults riding it. *sigh* I mean on one hand they are paying customers and deserve to be accommodated, but on the other hand when a boat bottoms out you ask someone to get off and you have other people waiting...it can create a sense of animosity or maybe it was some other entirely different reason. I just think the combination of society's problem with food and the wear or a 40 year old ride just made a delicious recipe for er...arguing :P
Maybe I'll come back and edit this because I'm rambling but do you think that its a combined issue? Just a issue of wear and tear? Or is it a obesity issue?
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I remember going on the ride when I was 6 years old and even then the ride was showing its age, so I can only imagine 14 years later that it is reaching its olden years. But although it provides a good cover, I believe the issue lies in the obesity epidemic. The boats do just fine when healthy sized (average sized, smaller sized, there really is no nice way to put this phrase with someone getting offended) people are on the ride. If they were having a problem with 9 out of 10 boats, including boats that hold a normal load, then it would justifiable, but then the ride would have to be closed immediately because the problem would be immediate. This tells me the renovation, although necessary, is only a huge problem when particular patrons ride. It is a cold and harsh reality, but if you get to that point in your health where going places become an issue because of size you are going to cause problems for companies who are being forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to accommodate. I would be embarrassed and try to fix the issue rather than complain for the world to revolve around your size. I'm sorry that was really mean and will probably get mean responses, but if it was just unnatural expectation I wouldn't say anything. This is a health crisis that shouldn't become mainstream and pushed for accommodations but should be treated like any other disease and treated as crucial to help. If we keep taking more and more steps to make it acceptable the next generation will have a negative standard in the future that will make the problem worse.
What do you know, I got on a rant too. Oops!
Think about it...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tomorrowtoday
I say both. The people are too fat and that ride is ancient.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
I don't want to say that they should accomodate for the fat people, but we have to realize that people don't seem to be doing too much about the situation. And it makes me sad. And I wonder...why is our nation getting so overweight? Is there something in the water. Just kidding. Anyway...um...I also don't think that it's the amusement park's fault if people are too big to ride their rides. Maybe the fact that they can't would be an incentive to lose the unneccesary weight. And I know that's kind of mean...but...oh well.
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--The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return--